Tennis Golf response part 2

Thank you for the great feedback Matt! Your point is well taken and very insightful. Where we have to connect is the meaning of thinking. You are 100% right that in tennis it is all about reaction. But that reaction has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is from the countless of times you have had to think about that certain pattern of play. The same goes for golf or any other sport. Sports are about recognizing the best possible pattern that will give the maximum output. Golf might have the advantage bc it has much more time.

Put yourself in a golfer's shoes. You hit a 270 yard drive into a faiway bunker on a par 4. You have 270 yards to walk up to this ball, think of the best possible shot you can hit from that position, and discuss this with your "coach", the caddie. During all that time, you also have time to get angry, release that anger, regain focus, visualize the next shot, and maybe order a beer :) Also, when you play in a tournament format you will have to wait for your playing partner to hit his shot which gives you more time and if he has a similar shot to use his/her shot as a guide to hit yours (early rounds of tournaments actually consist of 4somes so you have to wait for 3 other players).

All that time spent thinking is actually "Pattern Recognition". Just like in tennis, these players have seen every possible shot before and can analyze what is the best approach for the maximum output. Shots off sprinklers or one buried in a fairway bunker have been practiced by these athletes. In tennis, we have our tweeners or short angle passes which are extremely tough to execute but we have all done them and recognize them as Patterns.

Lastly, you make a great point of one bad game in tennis, or even a set might not affect your overall result. In golf a bad hole can take you out of contention. Looking at tournaments in the past, especially majors in golf, tournaments are not won by the player holding the lead in all 4 rounds. These same players relinquish their leads and then gain them back. In tennis, we have the same thing. We give up games but then reclaim them. It is a definite tug of war. The example of the women's game is a valid one and one that deserves a total post on its own. I will discuss the difference b/t the men's and women's game soon. Thank you Matt for an awesome piece of discussion. One thing, Golf has some of the most amazing "courts", courses, out there!